The Last of an Era
by Hollowed Echoes
Summary: Humanity has been wiped clean from the face of the Earth, victim to an unrelenting virus that many were certain was the finger of God itself. Except for one sole survivor, the Last of an Era. Nearly two thousand years later he reemerges into a world not unlike the one he left behind, except for one small detail. The animals are much, much smarter than before.
1. No Man's Earth

**6/13/17 AN:** Chapters 1-4 have all been revised to some extent, with Chapter 1 having been changed almost entirely, so if you're a returning reader I'd suggest going over it again so that future chapters aren't as confusing. More information at the end.

* * *

Alarms. All he could hear was alarms. They almost seemed to resonate from within his own head, bouncing around the inside of his skull like a toddler on a sugar rush. He wished they would just stop, just for a moment, just long enough to get his bearings. He had a pounding headache, which he blamed on the incessant noise that seemed to drill into his very being. Eventually, he was able to coax his eyes open, although he couldn't see much.

His vision was blurred, most likely from sleeping for so long… but why had he been asleep? He racked his brain for the answer as to why he had been asleep for so long, but the damnable alarms made it almost impossible to focus on anything. Instead, he decided to focus on what he _could_ see. He was being held up by metal supports in a pod of some sort, vapor billowing out from vents beneath his boots. He was in a featureless black jumpsuit which was just a bit too loose, with frost covering almost every inch of his body.

That was when he noticed how cold he was. Perhaps he had just been numb to the whole time, but he was now definitely aware of his intense shivering. As his feverish movement slowed down to occasional spasms, he began to sluggishly drag his feet out from the pod, only to suddenly collapse as he put weight on his legs. Everything felt like gelatin, his muscles refusing to support his weight without the supports in the pod. _I have to focus. I have get up… get out of here_. He slowly rose to his feet with quivering legs, pausing for a moment to dust off his pants. Once he was sure his legs would hold, he began to hobble down the hallway, full of pods similar to the one he was just in.

He spotted a computer at the end of the hallway, mounted on the wall next to a metallic blast door. He slowly made his way over, leaning on the wall with his left arm for support while working the console with his right. Eventually the console booted up, displaying a wall of text describing the status of the facility.

 **STRCUTURAL DAMAGE DETECTED**  
 **ALL SURVIVING STASIS POD REMNANTS MUST EVACUATE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY**

 **WARNING: MULTIPLE PODS COMPROMISED BY A-VIRUS**  
 **UNCOMPROMISED STASIS PODS: 0**  
 **REMNANTS WITH VITAL SIGNS: 1**  
 **ESTIMATED DECEASED REMNANTS: 149**

 _Stasis pods. I remember now… we were supposed to be the last humans to make it out from the Armageddon virus. Guess even a high tech vault like this wouldn't be safe forever. But it says that all of the pods were compromised, so does that mean…?_

His thoughts were interrupted by a rumble that rocked the entire vault, dust shaking free from the archaic concrete walls and ceiling. _I'll have more time to think later, but right now I've got to get out of here._ He slid open the blast door and shuffled down the hallway, briefly stopping at an intersection to read the signs that had been nailed to the wall. The left sign said 'Entrance' while the right said 'Stasis Pods: Left Wing'. He was about to head down the other stasis pod wing when another rumble shook the vault. This time the structure was not so lucky, the ceiling cracking and buckling under the pressure. Concrete, rocks, and other bits of rubble crashed through the weakened section, completely blocking off the left wing.

 _Well, the system did say no one survived right? Either way it's too late now…_ He solemnly shrugged before heading down the left pathway, his strength building up enough to allow him to ease into a light jog. The hallway eventually ended with another blast door, this one having a single release lever controlling the lock. He pulled the lever with little effort before sliding the door open and stepping out into what seemed like a tunnel. The outside of the door was layered with bricks that matched the rest of the tunnel walls, a trick used to hide the vault from anyone who might try to get in and inevitably compromise the entire facility. _A lot of good that did_.

Despite its futility, he closed the door before looking around. He looked to his left and right before doing a double take; he could see what had caused the structural damage. A flaming train car was wrecked at one end of the tunnel, which he now deduced was a subway of some sort, with rubble littering the rails. He could see a set of stairs leading out of the tunnel at the same end of the tunnel, pondering whether to risk getting blown up by the train just to get out of the tunnel. _There's no telling how long this subway will hold up, and that_ is _the fastest way out after all_. He shook his head before starting to jog over to the stairs, his pace quickening as he neared the burning wreckage. He was practically sprinting by the time he made it to the bottom of the steps, taking two at a time in order to get away as fast as possible. He practically jumped out of his skin when another explosion erupted from the car while he was still ascending the stairs, rattling his bones and leaving his ears ringing for a few moments.

The steps eventually emerged into a museum of some sort, with various exhibits all in varying stages of completion. Some were practically done, while others still had scaffolding encircling them. All of this was held in one extensively large room, with a single pit in the middle. That was when he spotted three humanoid figures near the center of the room. He quickly darted behind a plastic bear mannequin that was missing its head, slowly peering around from behind his cover. Upon closer inspection the humanoid figures looked like parts of the exhibit, a sheep being flanked by two rams. Only, they were standing. On two legs. _Wait, what?_

He debated on whether to get out from behind the mannequin or stay in cover. For all he knew, he could just be hallucinating from sheer exhaustion and long-term exposure to whatever chemicals they had used to freeze him. Inevitably, curiosity got the better of him and he cautiously peered out from behind the mannequin, making sure to not expose too much of his body. Upon closer inspection, he could tell that he had in fact seen a sheep and two rams standing on their hind legs, but they were definitely not part of the exhibit.

At first he assumed they were trained animals, with the sheep wearing a suit and clutching a brief case while the rams wore what looked to be knockoff police uniforms. _Their badges aren't in the right place, and they're missing some of the standard issue equipment. Definitely fake uniforms_. He smiled inwardly as he briefly remembered the times when his dad would coach him on telling the differences between real uniforms and fakes. Knockoffs could be pretty convincing, but nothing ever came close to the original. With all of this in mind, he came to the conclusion that they were circus animals. Really, really well trained circus animals. That is, until the sheep looked straight at him… and its mouth moved as if to form words. He ducked behind the mannequin far too quickly, knocking his foot into the base and causing the statue to teeter precariously.

"Hey!" a feminine voice called out from the far end of the room. "You have five seconds to show yourself!" _Is that one of the animals talking?_ "One!" _It doesn't really matter does it._ "Two!" _They obviously don't like me that much._ "Three!" _Whatever I do this can't end well._ "Four!" The heavy sound of two sets of hooves hitting tile began echoing throughout the room, signaling that the rams were starting to make their way towards him. "Five!" The hoof-steps picked up pace immediately, coming ever closer to his hiding spot. When he was sure they were about to reach him, he sprinted out from behind the mannequin.

He had guessed the correct side, the rams having charged to the opposite side of the statue. It didn't take long for them redirect their course, and it wasn't long before they began barreling towards him once again. He began sprinting away from the animals but quickly realized that they were gaining on him. He dove out of the way of the first one, scrambling to pick himself up off the floor. He was still somewhat groggy, however, and he was barely able to get himself up off the floor before the second ram collided into him and sent him skidding across the room. His left arm went numb from the shoulder down, but he couldn't tell whether it was from the rough landing or the impact itself.

He struggled to get back up, his disabled limb hanging uselessly in front of him. There wasn't enough time to worry about it though, as the animals were already preparing another charge. He instinctively started backpedaling as he looked for a way out. The stairwell he had come from was too far away to even consider, and the front door wasn't much better. The only option he had was to escape into the pit at the center of the room. He turned on his heel and began limping as fast as he could manage towards the hole, the sound of approaching hooves providing ample motivation. He didn't even think twice before jumping down into the exhibit, catching his fall with a sloppy stumble due to the unexpected depth.

He briefly forgot about his pursuers upon seeing the pit's other inhabitants. A fox in a green Hawaiian print shirt and khaki slacks was looked up from a wounded rabbit wearing a red flannel and jeans with a bloodstain around what he presumed was the left shin. Both of them looked at each other in bewilderment before turning back to him. The two rams as well as the sheep peered over the edge of the pit shortly after, their expressions not much different from the fox or the rabbit.

"Now just what are _you_?" the sheep asked condescendingly, her voice clearly the same one he heard counting down before.

"Pissed," he answered with a grimace.

The sheep chuckled darkly and shook her head. "Great, another smart-mouth. I'm getting really tired of this, so I'm only going to ask this one more time before I have my associates finish the job. _What are you?_ "

"Human, last time I checked," he answered sarcastically. "Now, here's my question. Since when do animals talk, or am I still on ice?"

The sheep gave him a wicked smile before answering, "A human just comes out of nowhere and demands that _I_ start answering its questions? You obviously don't know what's going on, so I'll be nice and just tell you. My name is Mayor Bellweather, and I'm going to kill you." Bellweather popped open the case and pulled out what looked to be a type of pistol with an attached suppressor. "Well not me specifically, that would be far too much work. No no, I'm going to be much more creative than that. You see this here," she said while shaking the gun for emphasis, "is loaded with a little something called 'Nighthowlers'. One shot from this and the next thing you know, you'll be tearing apart anything in sight, including our friends here! When the police arrive, they'll have no choice but to put you down, and they'll do my job for me!"

The rabbit defiantly looked up at the sheep. "You can't honestly believe you can get away with this, do you?"

"Why Judy, of course I do! No one would ever expect little miss Bellweather to be behind something like this, not when the headlines will be filled with news about a human having killed Zootopia's first bunny cop and her sleazy friend."

The human shook his head in confusion. "I still don't get it. Why? What's the point of all this?"

"Because predators are a plague on this city!" Bellweather shouted. "They're criminals and cheats, always looking to one-up other mammals. Prey live in perpetual fear, wondering if they might be next on the list of victims. Mammals still cling to the belief that we can all coexist and live as one big happy city, but not anymore. Not when everyone will be afraid of the predator next door going savage at any given moment. We'll have no choice but to herd them out of the city, for our safety of course. We might even have to put shock collars on them! Maybe not, but a girl can dream can't she?"

The sheep inspected the pistol in her hand before saying, "Well, enough about me. It's time to do your part." The human barely even had time to blink before Bellweather fired off a shot at his neck. He winced as the projectile broke, splashing a cold, blue liquid across his skin. He shut his eyes in anticipation, only, nothing happened. The only abnormality he detected was the faint odor of fresh blueberries coming from the splotch on his neck.

Every animal was looking at him with bated anticipation, although the fox and the rabbit were more worried than intrigued. _Something is supposed to be happening, isn't it? Gotta think fast…_

He looked up at Bellweather and shrugged with his good shoulder. "Guess your Nighthowlers don't work. And here I thought you were actually serious."

"I had Doug double check all of his calculations to make sure this worked on every mammal in existence…" the Bellweather pondered out loud.

"Did you check to make sure it works on humans?" he said with a sly grin.

The sheep scratched her chin in thought. "Maybe you're right, so I'll just have to go with plan B. Foxy, you're up!" She let off another shot, this time hitting the fox in the cheek. It wasn't long before the predator started convulsing on the floor, clawing at the ground and anything else he could get his paws on. _Unless that sheep is just firing off blueberries like I think she is, this is going to get ugly really fast._ The human looked over at the rabbit with the hint of a question on his face, quickly glancing over at the writhing creature before looking back at the bunny. She gave him a wink before turning back to the fox with a mortified expression. _This is all one big hoax, isn't it?_

He decided to play along, watching the fox with morbid curiosity as it began stalking the bunny on all fours. All she could do was crawl away from him, the gash in her leg keeping her from standing upright. "Nick, snap out of it!" she cried, her voice convincingly terrified. Eventually she ran out of crawl space as she reached the wall of the exhibit, meekly extending her paw out in hopes that the savage predator would stop his advance. The fox simply snarled before leaping at her and closing his jaws around her throat. The bunny let out an overly dramatic scream before letting her head limply fall to the side. "And… dead."

The man suppressed a laugh as he saw Bellweather's self-assured smile fall apart, mumbling to herself in disbelief. "I'm getting the feeling that your stuff just isn't doing the trick, although that might be because you're trying to shoot us with _blueberries_."

The fox released the rabbit from his jaws before they both turned to the sheep. "Anything else you'd like to add before the ZPD arrive?" the rabbit taunted as she pulled out a carrot-shaped recorder.

As if on cue, a variety of mammals in proper police uniforms rushed into the museum, a large cape buffalo leading the charge. "ZPD! Nobody move!" he yelled as he aimed a tranquilizer at Bellweather. She merely dropped the briefcase and her gun on the floor, blankly staring down into the pit with her arms at her side. The rams slowly rose their arms above their heads as they glared at the advancing officers.

"Got your call Hopps," the buffalo noted as he handcuffed Bellweather. "Although I wasn't exactly expecting _this_." He gave the human an accusatory stare. "Care to explain?"

The man frowned at the officer. "Sure, as soon as you get me out of this pit that is. I feel like I've been fighting to stay alive since I woke up, and right now I don't exactly have a lot of trust to give."

The buffalo pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Fine, but _all of you_ are going to explain what's going on." With that, the officer began walking back towards the main entrance while radioing for a ladder.

 _Finally, a chance to just relax and catch my breath_. The man sat down against a fake palm tree, taking great care to not use his bad arm. After he settled in, he began testing his shoulder by moving this left arm in slow circles. Despite the occasional spike of pain from moving the wrong way, he still had almost complete control over his motions. _Probably just a bad bruise, nothing to worry about._

It wasn't until he finished examining his arm that he noticed the fox and the rabbit talking to each other in hushed whispers while trying to steal glances of him. "I don' bite if that's what you're wondering," he said with a tired smile.

"Sorry it's just… you're really a human?" the rabbit asked cautiously.

The man nodded. "As human as the day I was born, name's Daniel. I'm assuming you're Judy and he's Nick?" The two mammals nodded in confirmation. "So, a fox and a rabbit. How'd you two meet anyway?"

They began talking about the how they first met, with each of them taking turns to fill in details that other either couldn't remember or didn't know about. It wasn't long before the story transitioned over to the Nighthowler case, from discovering the secret containment facility, to the dance with the death at the waterfall, and even the disastrous press conference. Eventually they caught up to the present, explaining how Bellweather had cornered them in the museum after they had discovered and proceeded to destroy the drug lab.

"I guess if it weren't for you guys, I'd still be asleep, so thanks for that," Daniel quipped.

"I was meaning to ask," Judy began, "what did you mean by 'still on ice'?"

The man let out a long sigh. "To put a long story short, humanity was on the brink of extinction due to some sort of super virus. Our last resort was to put people with the highest chance of immunity in cryo-stasis in hopes that we could outlast the disease. Turns out I was the only one to make it out of my facility."

"Jeez, that's rough…" Nick mumbled. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

Daniel merely shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing you nor anybody else could do to stop it. In all honesty, the fact that everyone died was something I'd already come to accept. We all knew that it was a longshot before we went under, and after watching so many people die… I figured we would be joining them soon. And yet, here I am." He dragged his hands down his face in exasperation before continuing. "I guess what really b"others me is that I might be the last human _on Earth_. Everyone's looking at me as if I belong in this museum. Kinda gives me the impression that no one has ever seen, or will ever see, another human. Not to mention that society is now made up of _talking animals_ —no offense. Everything just feels so… surreal."

Before anyone could say anything else, a metallic ladder was deployed down the edge of the pit. Everyone reached the silent consensus to pick up the conversation another time and they began making their way out of the pit. The same buffalo officer from before was waiting for them at the top of the ladder. His stony demeanor lapsed into concern when he saw Judy's gash, but he quickly corrected his appearance.

"Hopps, go see the paramedic. Once you're cleared, all of you will be debriefed at the precinct. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir Chief Bogo!" Judy responded enthusiastically. Nick nodded nonchalantly, and Daniel gave him a blank stare as he studied the chief.

"Do I make myself clear?" Bogo repeated, looking Daniel right in the eye.

"Crystal, sir." _This is looking to be a really long day, isn't it?_

* * *

 **A/N:** I believe this marks the beginning of my latest project, hopefully it goes better than the last one and I don't hit a block so bad that I leave it on indefinite hiatus. This idea came to me probably the same way it came to everyone else who was ever thought 'what if a human was in Zootopia?', but I wanted to do it some justice. So, here we are. For future reference I will be posting the music I listen to while writing at the end of each future chapter, just in case anyone wants to set the mood, with **M** meaning that it actually fits the mood, while anything with **N** means that I just listened to it because why not.  
 **M:** Black Racers - Fixions (Mother Russia Bleeds and/or Euphorion versions)  
 **N:** Strafe Soundtrack - ToyTree, Judicator Album - Stilz, Neotokyo OST - Ed Harrison

 **6/13/17 Update:** Before I continued on to chapter 5, I wanted to make sure that 1-4 felt _right_. So, After taking a long, hard look,I felt that a lot of the character interaction was far too casual when considering the fact that they all barely knew each other. Not only that, but Daniel is a human surrounded by animals that we have been taught to be wary of for all of our lives. Thus, all of the characters are a bit more reserved and cautious around each other, but not to the extent that dialogue is _completely_ different. Still, there are considerable changes in each chapter, so I'd suggest going through all of them to make sure everything is under wraps.

Oh yeah, I also renamed every chapter after various synthwave tracks. The songs themselves typically don't fit the tone of the chapter, but their names are conveniently relevant. If you get the references, kudos to you.


	2. Don't Look Back

"Alright Hopps, you're good to go." The cheetah paramedic finished tying up the gauze before helping Judy up off the floor of the ambulance. "Looked and bled a lot worse than it actually was, but it should be good to walk on in a couple days."

"I trust that you'll make sure she doesn't do anything drastic, right?" the cheetah asked, giving Nick a wink.

The fox shrugged with a grin. "No promises. She is very hard to persuade, even for someone as roguishly handsome as me."

"You guys know I'm still right here?" Judy asked, shooting them a fake glare that broke into a smile.

Nick walked over and offered Judy his arm for support, helping her make her way to the enormous police cruiser that Daniel had been leaning on for the past few minutes. He had been watching officers of various species go in and out of the museum, some bringing in investigative equipment while others moved the suspects to their squad cars. He opted to avoid them out of respect for their work, but also because he couldn't shake his years of intuition that told him to steer clear of any that could easily kill him.

The buffalo was definitely one of the more intimidating officers, not only because of his massive size but also because of his unwavering cold demeanor. Although, after seeing the look of concern that the chief gave Judy, Daniel had the feeling that there was more to the buffalo than what he was seeing. Still, it would be a long time before Bogo would consider letting his guard down an inch around him. _I can't say I'd blame him either. A creature that has been extinct for over a thousand years suddenly decides to show up in the middle of a high priority case can only look suspicious. I'm lucky he didn't just arrest me for conspiracy._

As Judy and Nick strolled up to the cruiser, Bogo broke off from a pair of coyote detectives and brought up the rear. "Get in," he ordered, barely breaking his stride as he walked around the front of the car and got in the driver seat. Nick looked at Daniel and gave a confused shrug before helping Judy into the backseat. _Nice to know I'm not the only one who can see that Buffalo Bill doesn't like me too much_.

With an exasperated sigh, Daniel swung open the passenger door and sat down next to Bogo, never daring to so much as look at the chief for more than a few seconds. To say that the atmosphere in the front of the cruiser was tense would be an understatement, and it seemed to rub off on the residents in the backseat as well. The entire car was completely silent as the chief keyed the ignition and began driving down the streets of Zootopia.

Of course, Daniel found the roads altogether unfamiliar, but he put no effort in trying to learn them just yet. He chose to focus on taking in the stunning scenery instead. He had been to a couple cities before now, but for most of his life he had been in the suburbs outside of them. But none of them even came close to this. Zootopia was an entirely different beast, and the architecture was the main giveaway. From the towering skyscrapers that came in a variety of eccentric designs to the massive walls that closed off the center of the city from the rest of the districts, Daniel couldn't help but stare out the window as the car passed by them all. _New York has nothing on this place. Everything is just so_ big, _and yet there are so many tiny details._

As he continued to stare out the window, a question randomly popped into his head. "So what are the walls for?" he asked absentmindedly.

"They're responsible for isolating the climate control," Judy supplied. "Zootopia has several different districts that are all meant to cater to different mammal's comfort zones. There's the Rainforest District, Tundratown, Sahara Square, and Savanna Central just to name a few."

"You know Carrots, you'd make a really good tour guide in another life," Nick quipped with a smirk, earning a punch in the arm.

Daniel shook his head and grinned before going back to drinking in the view. Judy couldn't help but smile at him, wondering if that was what she had looked like when she first saw the city.

Eventually the police car pulled up to the Precinct, ending the premature tour of the city. "Out," Bogo commanded, climbing out of the police cruiser and leaving it a few hundred pounds lighter. The trio followed Bogo up the steps and into the precinct, this time without Nick having to hold Judy up, although she still had a slight limp. It wasn't long before the three were inside Bogo's office, with the chief closing the door after everyone had shuffled in. Daniel leaned against the wall in the back while Judy and Nick took the two chairs across from Bogo's desk.

"Now," the buffalo grunted, taking a seat in the large chair across from them. "First order of business. Hopps, I believe you dropped this in my office a couple of weeks back. Make sure not to lose this again, or it might be much harder to find the next time." The buffalo pulled out a police badge from his pocket and placing on the desk just in front of Judy.

"Sir, I-I don't know what to say—"

"I don't like losing good officers, so don't do it again. Now, let's start with the mayor. What happened with Bellweather?"

Judy and Nick tag teamed the beginning of the ordeal, with each taking turns explaining the true nature of Nighthowlers, the drug lab in the wrecked train car, and finally their encounter with the corrupt mayor. By the time they were done, even Bogo had a newfound appreciation for the rabbit and the fox. They were a remarkable team, and he couldn't help but feel that they had the potential to become an impressive pair of officers in the future. Not that he would ever tell them that of course.

Daniel was even more impressed, despite having already heard a choppier version of the story. He just couldn't get over the fact of how amazing they were for a pair of animals that were a third of his height put together. They reminded him of his father in many ways, a highly distinguished detective who had solved numerous cases before the virus hit. _These two would actually give him a run for his money, now that I think about it. Probably solve just as many cases in half the time._

After writing down some final notes, the chief turned his head towards Daniel and looked him dead in the eyes. "Last time I checked humans were all but extinct. Now, one just happens to waltz into one of the hottest cases Zootopia has ever seen, and not only that, but is now one of the most important witnesses we have. Start at the beginning, and I mean the _beginning_."

Daniel got up off the wall and walked closer to the desk, still holding the stare down with the chief. "Well, a deal's a deal." Daniel closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"Humanity looked a lot like all of this back in 2022, complete with planes and cars and everything else in between. Now, I only know as much as I was able to get from the news and from researcher reports before I went under, but here is general idea. It all started one day in mid-July, when the news started reporting on an epidemic stirring up the Middle East. At first, everyone thought it was another terrorist attack, perhaps some type of advanced chemical warfare or a new dirty bomb. That is, until it started spreading across all of the continents. Within a week the entire region was dead from a single virus. It was extremely efficient and highly selective, being able to travel via water, air, contact, and other animals while only killing humans and other primates.

"Within a month half of the world was dead, and every other remaining country was scrambling to try to survive through any means necessary, but it just wasn't enough. By October, the virus had spread across the entire world. Everyone was certain that this was the end of the human race, that this was Armageddon, and thus it was named the 'A-Virus.' People were dying by the tens of thousands every day, and almost all of our scientists had died in the first wave from direct exposure. Our last shot was to try this new branch of cryo-technology that had made some significant advancements just before everything went to hell. A few hundred other survivors were selected to be stored in vaults while we waited for the virus to die out.

"Everyone knew it was a longshot, but we had to try. But, by the time I woke up, the virus had compromised the facility and everyone died, except for me. The train wreck back at the museum caused the facility to issue an emergency evacuation, and I only just made it out before the whole place collapsed. Before I knew it, I stumbled into this mess." Daniel let out a deep sigh before leaning back against the wall. By now, everyone in the room was staring at him with solemn expressions. Even Bogo's hard expression seemed to ease up.

The chief studied him for a moment before easing into the back of his chair and rubbing his temple. "It's never easy is it…" the buffalo muttered, this time with a lot less iron in his voice. "We'll need to appoint a new mayor before we can get our legal procedures back underway, but when the time comes you will be able to apply for citizenship. In the meantime, this doesn't change the fact that you are now a key witness in this case and will be expected to testify in Bellweather's trial when the time comes. Whether you take advantage of this opportunity is up to you, but in the mean time you have the option of being kept in witness protection while we investigate as to whether Bellweather has any other associates that we should be concerned about."

Daniel shook his head. "While I appreciate the offer, there was something I was meaning to ask. I was almost done with police training before the virus hit, and I was wondering if I would still be able to apply. I get that I'm already pushing boundaries, but I feel like I could-"

Bogo held up his hoof, cutting the speech short while continuing to look at the man across from him. "Normally—no, almost always—I would decline a request like that without another thought. But, I'm feeling generous today. The force could use more capable officers, especially now that criminals will be looking up to Bellweather and growing bolder." Bogo turned to face Nick, who had remained uncharacteristically quiet alongside Judy throughout the entire exchange. "Now that we're on the subject, I believe Hopps was also intending to give this to you." The chief fished out two application forms, one with many of the fields having already been filled out with Nick's information. "Training begins next Monday, and I expect both of you to be there. Is that clear?"

Nick took the form and looked it over, a smile forming as he eyed the details.

"Nick! Congratulations!" Judy exclaimed, practically hopping out of her chair and giving him a hug.

Nick chuckled, returning the hug while trying to keep the paperwork wrinkle free. "Take it easy Carrots. I know you absolutely _hate_ work, but hurting yourself isn't the best way to get out of it. Besides, I've still got to graduate."

Bogo cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "He's right, and just as a reminder: Precinct One only takes the best of the best."

Nick nodded and gave him a confident grin. "Consider it done."

The chief turned back to Daniel before continuing. "Now, keep in mind that I still have witness protection in mind while we wait for you to be processed into the academy. We don't have any available officers besides Hopps due to the complexity of this case, so she will be in charge of you for the time being. Make sure to get that application back in tomorrow, or consider this _exceedingly rare_ opportunity closed."

Daniel simply nodded, collecting the paperwork before making his way to the door. "Thank you, sir. It feels good to have a place again."

The chief simply waved him away. "Enough of that. All of you, out." With that, the trio made their way out of the office, Daniel closing the door behind them. Bogo leaned back against his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt that he was starting to get soft, so Bogo resolved to give Hopps a harder time when she came back to work.

Daniel made sure that the door was closed all the way before saying, "You know, the chief isn't as much of a hard-ass as I thought."

Nick snickered while Judy frowned at him. "Don't let Buffalo Butt catch you saying that or he might misplace your application," the fox quipped.

"So I was wondering," Judy started as the trio walked down the stairs and towards the precinct doors. "What inspired you to join the force?"

Daniel looked up at the ceiling with a reminiscent smile, memories of his parents slowly resurfacing.

"Well, both of my parents were with the police since they could start working. My dad was an up and coming detective when he first met my mom, a regular beat cop at the time. My dad was working a case, a drug store robbery that had gone south, or so the investigators thought. The guys put a hole in the cashier's head and took the money from the register, but my dad knew there was more to it after he interviewed the only witness at the crime scene. My mom had only just been able to hear the gunshots while she was on patrol, and by the time she got to the store the guys were already taking off. She was able to grab the plate numbers and a fairly accurate description of the car, though. My dad interviewed her as usual and was about to leave but, of course, my mom didn't want to just sit on the sidelines. After a lot of arguing and a little begging, my dad finally gave in and let her tag along.

"Anyway, they were able to track the car to a higher-up lawyer from a local firm. He never reported the car missing and, a few days later, he was seen driving it around as usual. My mom and my dad later busted him and the robbers who turned out to be hired guns. The guy they murdered was a key witness for a case that the lawyer was defending, and he had hired these guys to make sure he couldn't make it to trial. Making it look like a failed drug store hit was their idea, but it ended all the same. My parents started seeing each other after the case and the rest is history I guess."

After he was done, looked down at Judy with an inquisitive expression. "So, what inspired _you_ to join the force?"

It was the rabbits turn to stare wistfully at the sky, the trio having practically stopped just outside of the precinct to relive their early days. "A lot different than yours, that's for sure. See, most rabbits live outside the city in Bunnyburrow and pretty much everybunny is a farmer. The Hopps family is one of the biggest traditional farming families still out there, so it wasn't exactly normal that I not only wanted to do something other than farming, but _police work_ no less. I think when I first told my dad he nearly fainted, but I'd always heard that in Zootopia 'anybody could be anything', and I always knew that I wanted to make the world a better place. I was certain when one day the town bully, a fox named Gideon Grey, stole some tickets from some friends of mine. No one else stood up to him, so I did. He scratched me up pretty good, _but_ I was able to get the tickets back!"

Nick's brows furrowed as Judy spoke about her childhood bully. "How come you never told me about this guy?" Nick asked, his tone somewhat less lighthearted. _Almost defensive,_ Daniel thought to himself, smiling inwardly. _These two are clueless, aren't they?_

Judy seemed unfazed by Nick's concern. "It was a long time ago Nick. Not only that, but I also saw him when I went back to Bunnyburrow. He said he was sorry for what he did when we were younger, and besides, he also helped out with the case. Gideon was the one who helped me realize that nighthowlers were what was responsible for all of the savage mammal incidents. Not only that, but him being a jerk all those years ago is what made me so determined to be an officer."

The fox gave Judy a skeptical look for a moment before letting it go. "Whatever you say Carrots, but if I ever meet this guy, no promises," he warned sarcastically, giving her a sly wink.

"I can take care of myself you know," Judy grinned, playfully punching his arm.

Daniel shook his head and grinned. _It's funny how human they are. If someone were to tell me that animals would be as smart as humans in the future, I would have called them a lunatic._

e turned to read the clock above the front desk back in the precinct. "Didn't know it was already this late. Did I miss Bogo mentioning anything about where I'm supposed to be staying?"

"He's usually supposed to tell us in person," Judy supplied. "Must have passed his-" she was interrupted by a ping from her cellphone. "Oh cheese and crackers… all of the saferooms are out of commission." Judy pulled her ears over her eyes and groaned. "And I just remembered that I left the truck too."

"Don't sweat it Carrots, we can crash at my place. Should have enough room for all three of us," Nick offered.

Judy looked like she wanted to argue the point, but she ultimately nodded in agreement. "Alright. But we still have the truck at some point."

Nick just waved the issue away. "We'll get it in the morning. I know a guy that'll make sure it doesn't get towed. Now stop worrying so much Carrots, you just saved the city!"

Judy let out an exaggerated sigh and gave Nick a small smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Of course I am. Now, I'm going to go flag down a cab so don't go anywhere," he said with a wink.

After a few minutes of waiting in the fading sunlight, Nick was able to hail a human-sized taxi, and before long the trio were off. It was about a twenty-minute drive from the precinct to Nick's apartment complex, although it was probably longer than normal due to the cab driver taking it rather slowly on the way to their destination. Daniel blamed it on the fact that the driver kept looking away from the road to steal a glimpse of him every chance he got. _I wonder how long I'm going to have to deal with this_.

The building itself wasn't anything impressive from the outside; a typical brick and mortar complex with nondescript features that blended in with every building around it. It wasn't until they got inside Nick's apartment that Daniel was back to being impressed with every aspect of the city. Everything looked pristine, from the spotless burgundy and grey trim wallpaper to the practically new furniture. "I don't really spend much time here," Nick explained, sensing the other two's disbelief. "I just use this place to sleep and store some of my keepsakes, but other than that I barely use it."

The fox nonchalantly beckoned them to follow as he walked around the apartment. "Living room is back there, kitchen's here, bathroom's over there…" he listed off, pointing to each room as he went over them. "This is the office and—damn, I forgot that I've only got one bedroom." An awkward silence hung over them as Nick's arm slowly dropped to his side, the tour meeting a premature end.

"Whelp, I'm calling couch. You two can sort out who gets the bed," Daniel said quickly, shrugging off the upper jacket of his jumpsuit and strolling back over to the living room before ungracefully collapsing on the sofa. Surprisingly, only a bit of his legs dangled off one end. _Why does a fox need such a big sofa, not to mention such a big apartment? This looks like something_ I _would rent._ His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Nick and Judy trying to discuss the bedroom situation. Eventually Nick was able to convince Judy to take the bed for herself while Nick lounged in the recliner in the living room.

* * *

 **A/N:** And thus ends the second chapter. For anyone that is surprised that I'm updating this so quickly, prepare to be disappointed. I'm only able to go this fast because I already had some of the beginning planned out in my head, so writing it isn't that hard. Also fun fact: I had originally named this 'Exposition in Disguise', but I'm glad I was bale to flesh it out into something more than just explaining the setting.  
 **M:** Stopgap - Ed Harrison (General Ambiance)  
 **N:** Seas of Infinity Album - MegaDrive, Strafe OST - ToyTree, Neotokyo OST - Ed Harrison


	3. Back Alley Creepers

_It was cold. So, so cold, yet he could feel his body defrosting. Water rolled down his face and over the thin layer of ice that still coated his jumpsuit. The only things he could see were the inside of the cryo-pod and the grated vault floor through an oval window in the front of the pod._

 _Alarms began blaring throughout the facility, echoing back and forth inside the pod. He started to panic, desperately banging on the glass in hopes that someone would hear him and open the pod. He had to get out, he had to escape. His pleas were answered when he heard the sound of footsteps on metal. Someone's legs came into the view of his window, wearing the same jumpsuit as him. He banged on the pod door, hoping that they would hear him._

 _He recoiled in horror when the figure bent down and looked straight into the window. It was faceless, with only a mass of skin and no distinguishing features. And yet, it was free, and he wasn't. He was suddenly filled with indeterminable rage. Rage that this insignificant abomination was able to live, and he wasn't. Rage that it wouldn't help him, instead crouching in front of his pod and taunting him. He pounded on the glass and the metal and anything else he could reach, anything to show this disgusting creature how infuriated he was that it was the lucky one that escaped._

 _But it made no difference. The creature stood back up and dashed out of his view, heading towards the exit, towards life. While he sat there to die. The pod seemed to get colder, the chilled air burning his lungs as his throat froze. It was so cold, and all he could think about now was how he was going to die alone. He would preferred any company to just dying alone, even if it was that faceless figure from before. It was so dreadfully cold, and he didn't want to die alone._

 _He didn't want die alone…_

* * *

Daniel woke up with a start, shivering intensely as cold sweat dripped down his face and soaked his clothes. He willed himself to sit still as he heard the faint sounds of someone walking to the front door of the apartment, their paws making just enough noise to be noticeable as they shuffled past the couch. Once he was sure his body had stopped shaking, Daniel slowly rose from his makeshift bed to see Nick trying to ease his way past the living room. The fox's ears drooped a little as he noticed that he had been caught. "Do I now have to worry about _two_ mammals with super hearing?" he quietly joked, a tired smirk forming on his face.

Daniel laughed softly and shook his head. "Nah. I'm already a bit of a light sleeper, and these clothes aren't making it any easier. I feel like I'm being cooked alive in this thing." It was a lie of course, the jumpsuit had barely done anything to help fight the freezing cold back in the vault, but the last thing he wanted to do was describe his nightmares to Nick.

Nick was otherwise oblivious and uttered a silent chuckle. "Well, you caught me red-pawed. I'm gonna go get Carrots something to wear other than the bloody jeans and raggedy flannel from yesterday. That, and meet up with a friend of mine who could bring the truck back here."

Daniel nodded and smiled inwardly before moving to lay back down. However, he quickly realized that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep any time soon, another drop of sweat rolling down his cheek. "Hey Nick," he called, the fox stopping to turn to him again. "Would you mind if I tag along? I guess I'm not exactly feeling _tired_ , so I figured I could go out and see more of the city."

Nick gave a nonchalant shrug. "Sure. Though, I'm not nearly as good of a tour guide as Carrots."

Daniel grinned as he stood up from the sofa before tying the sleeves of his jumpsuit around his waist. After he secured the upper half, he began following Nick out the apartment and into the dimly lit streets.

"I was just planning on walking to Carrots' place since it isn't that far from here. Then we can stop by my friend's place on the way back," Nick explained as the two began making their way down the sidewalk.

"So, have you ever been to Judy's place before?" Daniel asked.

The fox hesitated. "Technically yes. I've only been there once though, and she wasn't even home when I stopped by. Although, she did talk about it a little bit during the Nighthowler case and from what I can tell, it's basically a closet with a bed. But, it was the most affordable place she could get that was also close to the precinct, so she took it." Nick's brows furrowed as he thought about the run-down apartment complex. "I understand the reasoning but, there _had_ to be something better than that right?"

Daniel nodded slowly. "She seems like she doesn't mind it _that_ much though. Or at least, not as much you do."

Nick scoffed. "Well, that's Carrots for you. She's just so selfless, and she sees her job as the perfect opportunity to help other people." Nick took a moment to press the button for the crossway at an intersection before continuing. "It's just frustrating that someone like _her_ has to put up with that, y'know? The hero of Zootopia, living in a hole in the wall."

Daniel snorted as he visualized a bunny trying to cram itself inside of a mouse hole. "It can't be that bad, can it? I mean, she's put up with it for this long and only complained like, once right?"

"It's not about if she _can_ put up with it, it's that she shouldn't _have_ to. She deserves a whole lot more than that."

Daniel couldn't help but smirk at the comment. "Maybe you should talk to her about it. I mean, you're probably the only person that could talk her out of there."

Nick shrugged. "Maybe, but it's hard to convince Carrots to change her mind on anything. Stubborn bunny…"

The two continued walking in silence, Daniel beginning to properly take in the sights while Nick absentmindedly led the way, his thoughts still lingering on their conversation. The city was still quite active, even in the dead of night. From obnoxiously loud traffic to the bustling sidewalk filled with nocturnal mammals of every size, Zootopia seemed to be just as alive at night as it was during the day.

"You know," Daniel began, breaking the silence, "I wasn't expecting everything to be so busy at night."

"It's only in certain districts, where more of the nocturnal mammals live. Foxes are one, but I guess I never saw the appeal. There are a lot less potential… _customers_ out at night than during the day. That, and my mom and dad were daytime mammals anyway."

Daniel nodded before going back to sightseeing. It wasn't the most scenic route, as the majority of the buildings were drab grays and browns with no real meaning to them, but every now and then he would pass by a business that seemed awfully familiar. Snarlbucks and McDingo's were some of the many pun-related restaurants that he noticed while walking down the street. _Looks like I'll never escape the horrors of overpriced coffee and fast food. Just when I thought the future was looking pretty cool…_

After about half an hour of walking, Nick stopped in front of a drab, cream-colored building with mold beginning to grow on the lower edges. "This is it," he announced unenthusiastically.

Daniel broke into a worried laugh. "You're kidding me, right? You said it was bad but… this is downright depressing."

"I wish I was," Nick muttered, shaking his head before making his way to the door.

Upon entering, the two were immediately greeted with the pungent odor of mothballs and sweat mixed together in the humid air. Daniel was tempted to immediately turn back around and never even think of going back in there again, but he was inspired by Nick's stalwartness, as he had already brushed off the sudden blast of the unpleasant aroma and made his way into the building. The main lobby was just ugly as the outside of the apartment complex, hosting a staircase that wound up around an old elevator at the back of the room, as well as a dimly lit office off to their right.

Nick walked into the office, his smug expression restored. Daniel wasn't as proficient at masking his face, his unease still grossly apparent. A wrinkly, old moose with graying fur looked up from a computer monitor that seemed straight out of the 90s, adjusting her faded pink glasses as she studied the pair. "What can I do for you two," she deadpanned, seemingly unfazed by the fact that a human was standing in front of her.

"Hello again!" Nick began enthusiastically. "Judy sent us over to grab some things for her."

The moose simply blinked at him before returning to the computer monitor. "Hopps," she droned. "Began setting up her room for vacancy, though she left some of her personal items behind. Been meaning to throw them out for a while now, but haven't gotten around to it."

Nick's smile faltered if only for a brief second. "Yep, that's why she sent us over. Any way I could get a spare set of keys? She forgot to give me her set and I didn't realize until I got here."

The moose nodded and reached under her desk, rummaging through what sounded like a drawer full of coins before finally pulling out a key with the tag _410_. "Fourth floor, door at the end of the right hallway."

Nick gave a cool "Thank you" before taking the key and strolling out of the office.

"You alright?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah, fine," Nick replied nonchalantly.

"You sure? You kind of lost your cool for a second."

Nick stopped as he reached the base of the staircase. "I'm starting to get the feeling that Carrots is throwing me off my game." He joked half-heartedly, turning back to Daniel. "It's just… of all things for her to be worried about, why not this? And why didn't she tell me?"

"Maybe she just doesn't want you to worry?"

"But I'm her _friend_ , it's my _job_ to worry about her. I just don't get why she thinks she has to deal with this kind of stuff alone."

"Well, if you were dealing with the same thing, would _you_ tell her about it?"

"Yes, I would! I would trust Judy with just about anything! That's why this is bothering me so much."

Daniel frowned as he considered Nick's implications. "Now, I don't know you guys that well yet, but even _I'm_ positive that Judy trusts you just as much as you trust her. She probably just feels like she needs to solve her own problems because she can, even though she doesn't always have to."

Nick stared at the floor in thought before sighing in defeat. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Daniel smirked. "All you need to do is talk to her about it. But first, we need to go clear out as much of 410 as we can carry without looking like we're robbing the place."

The two made their way up the stairs, purposely avoiding the elevator that looked like it would sooner break down than carry a mouse up one floor. They eventually reached Judy's apartment and, to Daniel's surprise, the room fit Nick's description to a T.

"You know," Daniel began. "I don't what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. I thought you were joking when you said it was small, but this is just ridiculous. How can anything live in here?"

"Beats me, but one thing's for sure. She isn't coming back here anytime soon."

Nick made his way inside the depressingly apartment while Daniel opted to stay outside. "There's no way both of us will fit in there, let alone just me," he justified sheepishly. The fox just rolled his eyes and began rummaging through the wardrobe.

"Well, looks like Carrots didn't leave much behind." Nick finally announced, emerging from the apartment with a suitcase in hand. "Some clothes, a phone charger, a couple TV dinners in the fridge, but not much else."

"I guess she's been planning on moving out for a while now," Daniel noted.

Nick shrugged before closing the door. "Now we just need to go see my friend we can speed back over to my apartment. I never even want to _think_ about this place again." Daniel nodded in agreement and followed the fox back down the staircase. Nick quickly dipped inside the office and dropped the key on the desk before ducking right back out and leaving the complex.

Once again, the two were out on the dimly lit sidewalk, with Daniel following Nick through the unfamiliar streets of the city. He was trying to construct a mental map of the route they had taken to the apartment, but the buildings all seemed to melt together into a single muddy brown in the darkness. _I have no idea how Nick can distinguish one boring building from the next, there isn't a single landmark around here. Guess it just comes from living here so long._

After they had been walking for some time, Daniel eventually began seeing familiar street signs at the intersections. He could tell they were heading back to Nick's apartment, or that it was at least a similar route, but he couldn't help but grin at the small victory. His mental mapping was cut short when Nick slowed to a stop in front of what seemed like just another building among many. The only discernible feature was a sign that read "Marvin's Moving and Towing."

Nick beckoned Daniel inside as he opened the door with his free paw. "You always take me to the weirdest places, you know that? A terrible tour guide if I ever saw one," Daniel quipped. Nick shook his head and laughed as he held the door for him.

The lobby was unusually well-kept for how bland the outside was, with the freshly waxed wood flooring reflecting the bright white lights. A counter was located directly across from the entrance, along with an open door off to their right with a sign labeled "Garage" just above it. "Be with ye' in just a moment!" a voice with a thick country accent called out from inside the garage. Several minutes later, a mole clad in overalls and a red plaid shirt came waddling out from the open door. "Nick! Glad t' see ya! Now, what can I do fer' you and yer freakishly tall friend this fine evenin'?"

"Good to see you too Marv," Nick chuckled. "And not much, just a quick towing job."

Marvin nodded. "And eh, is this a… _discreet_ job by any chance?"

Nick shook his head. "Nah, I just need you to tow a friend of mine's truck back to Bunnyburrow. I'll send you the address for it in a bit."

"Hold on a sec," Daniel interrupted. "Your towing friend is a mole? How did you two meet anyway?"

"Oh, me and Marv go all the way back to when I first started hustling." Nick replied. "Finnick and I knew that we'd need a tow truck for some of our more elaborate hustles, and Marv here needed some help convincing the city that he was a _fully_ capable driver with _impeccable_ vision. So, we helped each other out."

"Now, I wasn't none too keen on the idea of being in the back pocket of a fox, but our boy Nick here has a way with words. That, and I woulda been bankrupt years ago if not for his, eh… connections," Marvin finished.

The mole turned back to Nick before asking, "Now, I don't mean to intrude, but who is this friend of yers' that needs their truck moved?"

"Judy Hopps ring a bell?"

Marvin nodded. "Judy ain't familiar, but Hopps is. They call me every now n' then to tow their tractors for maintenance. Just tell me where the truck is and I'll get er' done."

"Thanks Marv, you're the best of the best." After that, Nick pulled out his cellphone and texted the truck's address to Marvin. "Feel free to cover the job tomorrow, it's not going anywhere without your help. And thanks again, truly." Nick gave the mole a small wave before heading to the door.

"Guess I'll see you around Marvin. It's been interesting if nothing else," Daniel said as he began following Nick.

"Likewise mister…?"

"Richards, Daniel Richards," he supplied quickly.

"Right. Have a good one Mr. Richards." As the two left the shop, Marvin scratched the back of his head in thought. "Now what in Sam Hill _was_ he? Ain't no mammal I ever saw."

Daniel was equally perplexed. After he was sure they were out of earshot, he turned to Nick before asking, "Are sure that Judy's truck will make it there in one piece? Last time I checked, moles could barely see anything."

Nick waved his concerns away. "I've been working with Marv for years, and he's only ever gotten into one accident, and it wasn't even his fault! Trust me, he's the sharpest driver I know, besides Finnick."

Daniel scoffed, clearly unconvinced. "Alright, but if Judy chews you out for destroying her truck, don't say I didn't warn you."

They resumed walking back to the apartment, although Daniel grew increasingly concerned as the street quickly became far less populated after a few turns. That, and he was back to not recognizing his surroundings. "Nick," he started. "Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"You know, I was beginning to ask myself that same question. Did we take a right or a left at Felicity Avenue?"

"Pretty sure we took a right."

As Nick began to realize his mistake, a pair of dark gray wolves melted out of the darkness from an alleyway in front of them. "Damnit," he muttered.

The lead wolf grinned menacingly, emphasizing his considerably large canines. "Alright, you two know the drill. Money, jewelry, cellphones, everything."

"Or, you forget that you ever saw us and we go our separate ways," Daniel threatened.

"Looks like we got a tough guy over here!" the other wolf laughed. "Looks like I get to show you what happens to tough guys, huh?" The thug slowly began advancing towards him, brandishing a pocket knife.

"Alright guys, no need to get nasty. We'll cooperate, alright?" Nick bargained, vainly trying to defuse the situation. His please fell upon deaf ears.

The advancing wolf let out a snarl as he took a sloppy overhead swing at Daniel, only to be blocked mid-swipe. Daniel quickly stunned the wolf with a punch to the muzzle before locking the wolf's arm with his own. As the mugger reeled from the blow, Daniel rapidly applied pressure just above the elbow, effectively snapping the bone in two and forcing the knife out of the wolf's hand.

The thug was clearly distracted as he grabbed at his arm and yelled at the top of his lungs, signaling Daniel to let the broken limb go before kicking him in the stomach and knocking him to the curb. The wolf collapsed with a yelp and cradled his arm, allowing Daniel to casually reach down and pick up the discarded pocket knife before turning on the remaining assailant.

"Now," he began calmly. "You are going to take your friend and go, and if I ever catch either one of you morons trying to pull this again, I will gut each of you like a fish. Got it?" The last wolf just stared at him, his jaw hanging open in shock. " _Got it?_ " he repeated forcefully. This time the wolf nodded quickly before kneeling down to help his whimpering friend. He turned to Nick—who was also slack-jawed—and motioned for him to start walking.

As they began making their way back to familiar streets, Nick stopped and turned towards Daniel. "Alright, where the hell did you learn to fight like that?" he asked incredulously.

Daniel sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Well, if people figure out you're the son of two cops _and_ you go to a cruddy school, the kids beat you up out of principle. My dad thought it was a good idea to teach me how to fight. Just in case, you know?"

"Well alright. Now I have three friends who double as bodyguards. With you, Carrots, and Finnick, I'm practically untouchable."

The two shared a laugh before continuing their journey back to the apartment, this time with much less excitement. "Just for the record, Carrots doesn't need to know about that last little bit, alright?" Nick said as they approached the steps leading up to the complex.

"My lips are sealed," Daniel reassured.

They skulked into the apartment as quietly as possible before Daniel eased his way over to the sofa and unceremoniously collapsed on the unbelievably soft cushions. He was exhausted from the adrenaline rush earlier and all he could think about was the welcoming embrace of sleep. He thought he heard Nick say something, but he was already fast asleep before the fox could even finish.

* * *

 **6/13/17 AN:** And the old A/N is gone, because it was just me rambling. Anyway, if you're new, this won't really make sense, but if you're a returning reader then this is an important chapter. Daniel is now having nightmares, and as such he's acting a bit more reserved around Nick. Dialogue also has a bit of a nicer flow in places where it used to be rather choppy, but that's just my opinion. As always, music is down below:

 **M:** Motion Tracker - Space Disc Jockey (nightmare),Electric Dreams - Perturbator (ambiance)  
 **N:** Seas of Infinity Album - Mega Drive, Strafe OST - ToyTree, Neotokyo OST - Ed Harrison


	4. Not Alone

_Is it morning already? Give me like, five more minutes._ Daniel had slowly woken up from his much-needed sleep, but he opted to keep his eyes shut in hopes that he could coax himself back asleep. It was fruitless, of course, as he was wide awake by now. Eventually, he gave up and eased himself up off the couch before trying to stretch. A sudden pain from his left forearm interrupted his morning routine, however, bringing his attention to a surprisingly long cut that circled around the top of his arm. _Must've gotten caught by the knife and I just didn't notice. Thank God it isn't too deep. Hope I didn't stain the couch._ Daniel quickly looked down at the sofa and, to his relief, Nick's furniture was still the same color as before, completely blood free.

He shrugged the upper jacket of his jumpsuit back on, making sure that the sleeves covered as much of his arms as possible. _Can't let Judy see this or she'll figure out what happened last night._ After confirming that he was suitably concealed, Daniel took a moment to look at the time. _8:48? Guess I must've really been out of it last night huh? I was definitely expecting either Nick or Judy to be up way before me though. Speaking of, I thought Nick was supposed to out here in the living room?_ His musings were cut short by his stomach's obnoxiously loud rumbling, the relative silence of the apartment only emphasizing the noise.

He began making his way over to the kitchen, which ended up taking a considerable amount of effort as a result of the dim lighting in the apartment. Due to the lack of any proper windows in the living room, the only way to brighten up the place would be to turn on the lights. Though, he didn't want to start flipping switches while Nick and Judy were still asleep, so he opted to just do his best at avoiding hitting anything that might be hidden in the dark.

Daniel was finally able to reach the kitchen outlet, but the sound of jarringly loud snoring interrupted his train of thought. He turned towards the cracked open bedroom door, which he could have sworn was closed shut before they went out last night. He ultimately decided to investigate the room, not only to find out who was snoring so loudly, but also to see if his suspicions about where Nick actually was were true.

Daniel slowly opened the door and stuck his head inside. He didn't expect to find that Judy was the one he had heard back outside, finding it rather incredible that such a small rabbit could make so much noise. However, he was even more surprised to see both of them entangled on top of the bed. Judy was wearing what looked to be one of Nick's oversized shirts as a nightgown, and had stolen all of the bedsheets as well as Nick's tail. She held it with an iron grip, using it to supplement her already massive accumulation of blankets. Meanwhile, Nick was still in his clothes from last night and had draped an arm over Judy, holding on to one of her paws that was clutching his tail. All in all it was adorably hilarious, and Daniel had to stifle a laugh or else risk getting caught.

He closed the door as quietly as physically possible, smiling to himself like an idiot as he made his way back to the kitchen. _I can't help but wonder if they're more than just friends, but I'm not exactly one to pry._ Lost in thought, Daniel wasn't paying enough attention to where he was walking and stubbed his toe on the baseboard just as he was rounding the corner. He suppressed an annoyed groan before flipping the light switch and hobbling over to the small refrigerator. To his surprise, he found milk, eggs, and several other animal-dependent products alongside the expected assortment of fruits and vegetables. _I am_ definitely _asking about that later._

Daniel decided to do something nice for his hosts and make some of his home-famous buttermilk pancakes, pulling out the needed ingredients from the fridge before heading over to the pantry and to search for pancake mix. While the pantry itself was at his height, only about half of it was actually being used, and everything was placed below his waist level. He finally found a box labeled 'Uncle Jeremy's Original Pancake Mix' with the portrait of a graying otter in the top left corner of the box. Finally, he began searching for a mixing bowl in one of the low hanging cabinets when he heard the faint sounds of shuffling bedsheets. A high pitched yelp followed by "Oh cheese and crackers!" confirmed that Judy had finally woken up.

Nick was stirred awake by Judy's flustered apologies, and it wasn't long before he was adding to them. "Carrots! I'm so sorry! I was so tired that I must've just wandered over to the bed-"

"And I didn't mean to grab your tail! I know how much that bothers you-"

"And I dozed off by accident…"

"Yeah…"

They shared a nervous chuckle before Daniel burst out laughing, their uneasy smiles turning into mortified embarrassment. He was still trying to calm himself when Nick and Judy walked into the kitchen with equally sheepish expressions. "Um, how much of that did you hear?" Nick asked.

"Every. Word. But that isn't the worst of it."

Judy quickly caught on to his implications. "You actually went into the bedroom and _spied on us?!_ " she yelled.

Daniel held his hands up in mock surrender. "In my defense, I was just minding my own business when I heard the _loudest_ snoring in history. I had no choice butto investigate."

"He isn't lying Carrots. You snore like a freight train," Nick joked, his cool demeanor slowly returning.

"Nick!" Judy scolded indignantly. Nick merely shrugged in return.

"Anyway," Daniel redirected, "I was just about to start making some of my _world-famous_ pancakes. I mean, if you didn't mind me using your kitchen that is."

Nick shook his head. "Go ahead. I honestly want to see if you can make better pancakes than the master himself."

Judy looked at him with a skeptical smirk. "And just who might that be?"

"Why, Finnick of course! You wouldn't think it at first, but the big guy makes some of the best pancakes I've ever had."

Daniel shook his head and smiled to himself. "Well now I _have_ to meet him. No one has ever beat me when it comes to making flapjacks, and I've gone up against quite a few people over the years." Nick and Judy went over to the living room to watch the morning news while Daniel began mixing the batter. Luckily the kitchen was designed for multiple species in mind with two sets of counters and stoves, one that was at his knees and one that was at his waist. It wasn't long before he was properly cooking, with breakfast being ready soon after. He emerged from the kitchen with a stack of ten fluffy, light brown pancakes on top of a stack of three porcelain plates in one hand, and a bottle of maple syrup in the other.

Soon, all of three of them were lounging around the living room and eating breakfast while watching the news. "Ok I have to admit," Nick began after swallowing a bite. "You definitely give Fin a run for his money. These are some of the best pancakes I've ever had."

Judy nodded in agreement. "This beats my dad's by a mile, but don't tell him I said that."

Daniel chuckled, clearly proud of himself. "My mom taught me some of the basics for cooking breakfast, but I felt that it never tasted quite _right_. So, I started doing some research, experimented in the kitchen a little. Next thing I knew, I was making breakfasts that would have made Gordon Ramsey jealous." He shook his head when Nick and Judy gave him confused looks. "Chef that was famous for his fine dining, as well as getting royally pissed at anyone who thought they could cook but really couldn't," he clarified. They both nodded before going back to enjoying the unbelievably satisfying pancakes.

"I was meaning to ask," Daniel started as he eyed a forkful of fluff. "Where does the milk come from anyway?"

"Donors mostly," Judy supplied. "A lot of cows opt to donate excess milk after their calves grow up. Although, no one really knows why since it's still a pretty closely guarded secret."

"Weren't they recently trying to make it into a business model?" Nick asked.

Judy nodded, unable to answer right away with a mouthful of pancakes. "Yeah, but they've been meeting a lot of resistance from the government."

"I mean, it makes sense. Cows could set a monopoly on the dairy industry by setting prices on milk," Daniel reasoned.

They continued to eat and watch the news which, in all honesty, was rather bland. A tiger cub won the annual spelling bee, a local diner recently failed an inspection, a kit got stuck in a tree. Daniel was somewhat relieved and yet also disappointed that the news hadn't changed that much from the past. _I guess when there's no news there's no news, no matter who it's about._ _I'm just surprised they haven't been covering the Nighthowler Case on every channel. Maybe there just isn't that much information out yet?_

As if on cue, a monotone report on the public opinion of interspecies relationships was interrupted by "Breaking news! Police Chief Bogo is about to begin a press conference regarding the recent arrest of Mayor Bellweather." The channel cut to a live feed of Bogo at a wooden pedestal outside the front of the precinct, reporters of various species all surrounding him with outstretched microphones.

"Good morning everyone," he began calmly, his voice still containing a steely edge. "I'm here today to clear up any questions regarding Mayor Bellweather's recent arrest to the best of my ability. To begin with, Bellweather is now a prime suspect in the savage cases that have been occurring over the past few months. She is accused of leading a terrorist network that was dedicated to generating fear and distrust by infecting various predators with the toxins from plants colloquially known as 'nighthowlers.' This substance is capable of greatly increasing aggressive behavior in _any mammal_ that is exposed to it, causing said mammals to become 'savage' in sense. Rest assured, this is not a 'return to primal instincts' or a result of 'genetic behavior.' Researchers are certain this is the primary cause of the savage cases and are actively working on creating a countermeasure, as it appears that it can take weeks for the body to fully clear out the toxins naturally. Now, any questions?"

The reporters began bombarding the chief with a slew of questions, but he didn't even bat an eye as he waited for the right one. "Can you confirm that officer Judy Hopps was once again involved with the Nighthowler case?" one reporter asked, their inquiry seemingly rising above the others.

"Yes. Officer Judy Hopps, along with the help of Nicholas Wilde, was directly involved in Bellweather's arrest. Any other questions?"

"Some reports say that an unknown mammal was seen exiting the crime scene. Could you elaborate?" another reporter asked.

Bogo pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered something the microphones couldn't pick up. "Yes. A human was present at the crime scene is now a key witness in the case." The crowd of reporters went silent for moment as they all processed the new information, although it didn't last long.

"Does this human pose a threat to Zootopia?"

"Are there more humans out there?"

"Was the human working with Mayor Bellweather?"

"Is the human responsible for the destruction of the museum railway?"

" _Enough_ ," Bogo commanded coldly. "The human has been _thoroughly_ debriefed and we are certain that he does not pose a threat to Zootopia or its citizens, and he was assuredly not working with Bellweather. Additionally, the human is currently being considered for full citizenship as well as having a place in the ZPD due to former training. Any other questions regarding this will be disregarded. Now, is there anything else that needs clarification?"

Nick hit the mute button on remote as the reporters began another round of questioning. "Well, I guess the news is out now," he noted simply.

Daniel shrugged. "I wasn't going to be able to hide in your apartment forever. I was just hoping that they wouldn't already assume that I'm here to cause trouble."

"I know the feeling," Nick muttered.

"That makes three of us," Judy added. "How many bunnies do you see on the police force? Nobody thought I would _ever_ make it in, and here I am now."

Daniel smirked at the comment. "I guess we're all just a band of misfits, huh?" They all shared a laugh before finishing breakfast while watching the unmuted press conference. It barely lasted more than a few minutes before returning back to the same mundane reports, motivating everyone to get moving in an effort to avoid dying of boredom

"I call shower first," Judy chimed as she carried the plate back to the kitchen.

"I'll go last since it'll take me the longest," Nick offered.

Daniel shrugged. "Works for me. Though, I've gotta ask, are mammals the only animals that are sentient?"

"Yep. Birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians are all still feral."

"I was just curious is all. There's so much that's changed since I went on ice, I'm just trying to play catch up on how things work these days."

Nick scratched the underside of his muzzle in thought. "I've got an old laptop in the office if you want to look up some stuff. Password's 'wildstyle89', all lower case and no spaces."

Daniel grinned at the cheesy password and gave a quick "Thanks" before heading over to the office. He was greeted by a classic oak desk with a few papers scattered across its surface, a wheeled office chair, and a generic looking laptop with the familiar "Dell" logo on it. _At least it isn't a pun this time_.

He sat down in the chair and rolled himself up as close to the desk as possible without pressing his shins against the wood before flipping open the laptop and typing in the password. His curiosity got the better of him as he waited for the computer to boot up, and began looking through some of papers scattered across the desk. Most of them were instructions for what he assumed were some of Nick's more elaborate hustles, while others were informal finance reports regarding Nick's monthly profits. _Nick was bringing in some big money if these are accurate. I guess that explains the apartment, but he definitely isn't being smothered in cash. I wonder where it's all going…?_

However, one particular paper piqued his interest. It was a printout of directions to Judy's apartment, or at least as far as he could tell. _So he has been there before. Why didn't he just tell me before?_ His thoughts were interrupted by the short jingle from the laptop. _I guess I'll ask Nick about it later. Right now, I have a whole lot of other questions that need answers._

About half an hour later, he emerged from the office with much more knowledge about the new world he was in. And while the majority of time was actually spent trying to memorize a map of Zootopia, he also knew things like how the city was located on top of the remains of Washington D.C. The older city had fallen into disrepair after humanity died out, and many of the monuments had long since weathered away. It was all rather interesting to say the least, as there were almost no records of what humanity actually looked like, but there was an abundance of information about their history up to the point just before the virus. _Definitely explains why there are so many businesses that have the same names as our old companies._

Judy walked out of the bathroom at about the same time, still wearing her raggedy clothing from yesterday. Nick was back on the couch browsing his phone, although looked up to see them come out of their respective rooms. He smacked his forehead as he saw Judy in the same outfit. "My bad Carrots. I forgot to tell you that I stopped by your place last night to grab some stuff from your apartment. It's in the suitcase by the far corner in the bedroom."

Judy stared at Nick for a moment before confusedly shaking her head. "Wait, how do you know where my apartment is?" she asked bemusedly.

Nick looked away and scratched the back of his head. "Well… about a month after the press conference, I started looking for you. I wanted to say I was sorry for… you know…, but I couldn't find you at the precinct. I asked around and eventually someone told me your address. When I got there, the clerk said that you had taken a trip out of town. I stopped by every now and then, but I didn't know that you had actually moved on…"

Judy ran up to Nick and tackle him with a hug. "Nick, I'm so, so sorry! After everything that happened, I tried to stay in the city for a while but… I just couldn't. Being surrounded by all these people whose friendships were torn apart by my stupid mistake… it reminded me of how I had driven you away. I was just so worried that my best friend hated me and-"

Nick placed a clawed finger to her muzzle. "Judy, I could _never_ hate you. Hearing you say that stuff at the press conference hurt, but it didn't even come close to losing you. But why didn't you tell me that you'd moved out when we came back?"

"I knew that I'd have to sort it out some time, but I was just so glad to have you back and- and I didn't want you to have to worry about me..."

"Carrots, your problems are my problems. You don't have to try to do these things alone."

Judy sniffed and gave him a small smile. "Yeah… I guess you're right."

"Of course I am. Emotional bunny."

"Protective fox."

Nick and Judy hugged each other again before looking over at Daniel, only to find that he had long since left the office doorway. Rather, he had already made his way over to the bathroom, eavesdropping on their conversation as he let the water warm up. _I'd like to ask about them, but it's definitely none of my business. I just met them after all._ He made his shower quick, being mindful not only of the remaining hot water, but also of how much of Nick's soap he was using.

After just a few minutes, he stepped out of the bathroom while drying his hair with a towel that was a tad bit too small for him. He had tried put his old jumpsuit on, but the discomfort had quickly convinced him to shed the upper jacket. The cut wasn't nearly as bad he initially thought, as the water had washed away the dried blood to reveal a considerably smaller patch of tender, red skin. _I don't think Judy will notice, will she?_ His hopes were quickly dashed when Judy looked over at him, her eyes widening.

"What happened?" she asked worriedly.

"Well…" Daniel trailed, looking anywhere but at Judy. "When we went to go grab the stuff from your apartment we kinda got… mugged."

Judy pulled on her ears in frustration. "Danny, you could've been seriously hurt! You're lucky it was just your arm."

"Carrots, you should have seen him. He laid this guy out in ten seconds flat, then sent the other one running away like a scared pup," Nick defended.

Judy shook her head. "That doesn't change the fact that you guys could have _died_ , and you didn't even tell me!" She turned to Nick and looked him straight in the eyes before continuing. "Nick, you know how you said that my problems are yours? Well your problems mine too, but you have to tell me about these kinds of things. After all, that's what friends are for right?"

"Yeah, you're right," Nick admitted.

"Of course I am." She winked at him before adding, "Dumb fox."

"Sly bunny."

Judy gave him a smile before turning to Daniel. "Be more careful next time, yeah? I don't want to lose a friend I just met."

Daniel nodded solemnly. "Didn't mean to make you worry. I just figured that I could spare Nick the embarrassment of telling them we were broke," he finished with a smirk.

Nick gave him a toothy grin before getting up off the couch and stretching. "So, did you leave me any hot water?" he asked.

"Did you see how fast I was? You should have enough for two showers before it even gets warm."

The fox amusedly shook his head before strolling over to the bathroom. He made an effort to take off his shirt just as he walked inside so that Judy could see his fur, causing her to scoff and turn away as her ears burned a light shade of pink. Daniel chuckled at the display before taking a seat at the couch and flipping through the channels. "Good luck finding anything," Judy joked as she went over to the bedroom.

 _She wasn't kidding. There's almost nothing on that's worth watching._ He groaned in frustration as he switched to yet another station, only to end up with yet another commercial. "You've got to kidding me," he mumbled to himself, angrily pressing on the remote again. Daniel finally gave up and tossed the remote to the other end of the couch, leaving the TV on a documentary about the history of predatory birds. He barely even noticed when Judy came back to the living room and set down next to him, now wearing a lopsided lavender tank top with a different pair of jeans.

"Thanks for keeping Nick safe," she began. "I know he can take care of himself, but I'm just afraid that one day he might get into something he can't talk himself out of…"

Daniel nodded, oblivious to the TV at this point. "He could've handled it, probably a whole lot better than I did. I guess I just… snapped. Back then, when everything started going to hell, my mom was among the first boots on the ground to arrest looters and scavengers. One day she didn't report back after the end of her shift, and four hours later they found her dead in an alleyway with her head caved in by a lead pipe. I thought that I had gotten over it, that I had just gone numb to it all, but after last night… I don't know." _Was I ever truly numb? Every time someone died, someone I cared about, did I really feel nothing at all? I'd like to think I was, that eventually I was able to just ignore everything. But I was never really truly gone, was I?_ "God I'm a mess…" he mumbled absentmindedly.

Judy looked up at him with remorseful eyes. She didn't know what to say, or if there was anything that she _could_ say. Instead, she settled with just leaning against him, placing her paw on top of his bare hand. Daniel looked down at her, a mixture of confusion and contentment swirling around in his head. It felt so _off_ to be comforted by a talking bunny rabbit of all things, and yet it felt no different than if a person had been the one sitting next to him. The latter feeling finally won over, and for the first time he felt as though he had real friends in this new world.

By the time Nick finally got out of the shower, Daniel and Judy had already gone about trying to pass the time. Judy was impatiently pacing back and forth behind the couch while browsing her phone, her ears twitching every now and then as she looked at something that sparked her interest. Meanwhile, Daniel decided to sneak in his morning exercises and was currently hammering out sit-ups in front of the TV. "Looks like you two aren't very eager to get going," he noted sarcastically while adjusting his tie. Judy smirked and shook her head while Daniel forced out a fake laugh.

"I was hoping you were exaggerating when you said it take a while, but I should have known better," Daniel complained as he picked himself up off the floor and dusted his jumpsuit off.

"I have to wash and dry two layers of fur, while you humans barely have anything to begin with," Nick retorted jokingly.

"Yeah, I guess so," Daniel admitted before looking over at Nick, who was still wearing the same outfit as yesterday. "How many of the same outfit do you have anyway?"

"Enough for every day of the week and then some. When you're constantly hustling, the first and last thing people remember is your clothes. If I ever need to lay low, I can just lose them and become a whole new fox."

"Well, you're not hustling anymore, so guess what we're doing today?" Judy chimed while putting away her phone. Daniel and Nick looked at each other, knowing full well what was coming next. "Shopping!"

Despite their initial reaction, Nick and Daniel were still as eager as Judy to get out of the apartment, so they didn't offer too much resistance to the idea. "Come on you guys, we're gonna have to do this eventually," Judy reasoned as they strolled down the sidewalk. "Danny, you need something to wear other than that. And Nick, you need to know how to _dress_." Daniel held his hands up in mock surrender while Nick just shoved his hands in his pockets and faked a scowl, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

With the sun out, the streets were much livelier than they were last night. Unfortunately, that also meant that Daniel was in full view of every mammal that was out and about, and it wasn't long until everyone was gawking at him like an exhibit at the museum. Cars slowed down as drivers rubber-necked to see him as long as possible, and pedestrians stopped to take pictures and talk to others in hushed whispers as if he wouldn't notice. All in all, it was somewhat embarrassing and extremely irritating. "Jesus Christ, it's like I'm an exotic animal at the zoo," he thought out loud.

"I mean, you _are_ an exotic mammal in Zootopia if that counts," Nick quipped.

Daniel shook his head in frustration as he heard another camera flash. "Judy, how much further until I can at least get out of the street?" he asked impatiently.

"The Downtown Mall is just a couple more blocks, but I don't think it'll get much better," she admitted.

It seemed like centuries had passed before they finally reached the mall, and it definitely wasn't what he was initially expecting. The Downtown Mall was all outdoors, with individual outlets being separated by a plexiglass walkway that ran throughout the entire area. An entire network of waterways ran under the glass, allowing aquatic mammals to traverse the mall as well. "This is just… wow," Daniel muttered to himself.

"I know right?" Judy gushed, obviously pleased with his initial reaction. "When I first came here, I stood in this exact spot for almost half an hour. It's just so…"

"Amazing," Nick finished, his gaze lingering on Judy a bit longer than intended, although no one noticed.

It didn't take long for the other citizens to ruin it, however, with many of them quickly forming a crowd in front of the trio. Daniel groaned in frustration and began making his way down the walkway, the crowd dissipating as he walked past. Nick and Judy looked at each other worriedly before catching up with him. "I'm sorry Danny, I didn't realize it would be this packed even on a Thursday," Judy apologized as she approached his side.

Daniel shook his head. "It's not your fault, and it really shouldn't bother me this much."

"Give it a couple weeks and people will stop staring. Maybe less if you're extremely boring," Nick reassured humorously.

"I hope so, or the headlines might start saying 'Human goes crazy and attacks group of citizens'," Daniel threatened sarcastically.

Judy took the lead once again and brought them to a shop called 'Urban Designs', swearing that she bought almost all of her clothes there. The store didn't look extremely large on the outside, but almost no space was wasted, with an extraordinary array of clothing covering almost every inch of the store. The only things that didn't have racks of fabric on it were the forgivingly large walkway that ran through the shop and the checkout counter in the center. Almost immediately after they walked in, an overly eager hare clerk began making his way over to them.

"Judy! Good to see you again!" he called flamboyantly, bounding over to them. His beaming smile turned into awe as he got closer to the group and spotted Daniel. "Who are your friends?" he asked before quickly turning to Judy and whispering, "Is that the human they were talking about on the news this morning?"

"This is Nick," Judy said, gesturing to the fox before moving on to Daniel. "And this is-"

"Daniel. Just, Daniel," he finished flatly, cutting her off.

The other rabbit caught on quickly. "Oh where are my manners! Richard Hopps at your service! Although you can just call me Rickie," he supplied enthusiastically.

"Rickie is a cousin of mine," Judy explained. "He was technically the first Hopps to come here, but he's pretty out there on the family tree."

"I can imagine," Nick remarked.

"So what can I help you guys with?" Rickie asked, his right foot tapping with energy.

"We need to find these two something other than what they're wearing right now," Judy answered.

"Well you're in luck! We just brought in a new selection of fox-sized attire, and I'm sure I can find something for Daniel too. Follow me!"

Rickie led the group to a group of racks with clothes that looked about the same size as Nick's, identifying it as the latest threads from Fox Hollow. Judy opted to stay with Nick as he looked through clothes, as she, "didn't trust him to make good fashion decisions after seeing his clashing fashion." While they were browsing through the newer apparel, Rickie guided Daniel over to another group of racks near the front of the store.

"This here is the wolf section. Now, I know you're obviously not a wolf, but I think all of this is about your size. Let me know if you need any help!" he chimed before practically skipping back over to Nick and Judy. Daniel began looking over the selection and was surprised to find that the hare was right. While some were a bit too small or disproportionate, many of the shirts were about his size. Additionally, many of the pants with tail slots were designed to where the fabric still covered everything, regardless as to whether the slot was being used or not. I guess I never quite realized how human-sized wolves are if they stand up. All the better for me though. After about an hour and a half of trying on various sets, Daniel finally made his way back over with the group.

Nick was the first the notice him and waved him over with his free hand, his other arm covered in hangers. "Don't worry about paying for it, I'll cover it," Nick offered.

"Don't you mean we'll cover it?" Judy asked.

"He saved some of my cash from being stolen last night. Least I can do is pay him back right?" Nick reasoned, already fishing his wallet out of his pocket.

Rickie waved it away. "Oh please, you guys are family! I'll cover this one, but you gotta promise me that you'll come back with more juicy stories alright?"

"Are you sure? I can't imagine how much this all costs…" Judy trailed, obviously not putting up much of a fight as she normally did.

The other rabbit shook his head. "It's the least I can do for you Judes. Besides, you're the only other Hopps out here in the city! We gotta look out for each other right?"

"Aww thanks Rickie!" Judy chimed before enveloping him in a hug.

"No problem! Now, let me ring you guys up."

A couple minutes later, Daniel had changed into a textured dark green shirt and black jeans and was following Nick and Judy out of the store, bags clothing in hand. "Did you know he would cover for us?" he asked once they were back outside.

Judy looked off to the side before slowly answering, "He might have covered for me a couple times before… why do you ask?"

"How many?" Daniel pressed.

She hesitated before answering, "…Seven?"

Daniel let out a low whistle while Nick doubled over laughing. "You sly bunny!" he coughed out with tears in his eyes.

"I never get that much! A couple shirts here, a pair of pants there. I'm just as surprised as you guys are that he covered for all this," she defended.

Nick was still chuckling as he said, "I'll have to keep that in mind in case I ever find that I have family members in retail."

Daniel smirked and shook his head. "Well, at least I don't look like a mechanic anymore. All I need now is a phone and I just might be able to fool someone into thinking I'm a normal person."

The fox waved the issue away. "I've got a couple spare phones that I swap between. Just make sure if you ever get a call from someone, don't answer it. Ever."

"Angry customers I assume?" Daniel asked amusedly.

"…Something like that."

It had taken quite a bit of time to make it out of the apartment and even more time to walk all the way to the mall, so the sun was already beginning to set when they reached the sidewalk. "I'll get us a cab real quick," Nick offered.

"Now hold on just a minute. You covered the taxi yesterday, so I should cover it today," Judy rebutted.

Nick knew he wasn't going to win this one and shrugged in defeat. As they all climbed into the backseat, Daniel reminded them that he and Nick still had to drop by the precinct to submit their applications, so they quickly altered their trip's priorities. It wasn't long before the driver was navigating the streets of Zootopia, the setting sun causing the sky to turn into a mixture of pink and orange. It made for a beautiful backdrop against the towering skyscrapers, and he finally felt as though everything was going to be ok.

* * *

 **6/13/17 Update:** Another A/N that is now completely different, so if you're new this won't make any sense. The beginning and very end of this chapter changed quite a bit, with Daniel now being a bit less of a creeper and a bit more of a nosy idiot. Also added some general fluff to the dialogue and changed how Daniel interacts with Judy before the line break. So, this is definitely worth a quick review, at least up until they leave the always, music below.

 **M:** Perturbator - Electric Dreams; Everything is Going to be Ok - Mick Gordon (latter half/city)  
 **N:** Above songs; Tin Soldiers - Ed Harrison (probably more than is healthy)


	5. Bittersweet Sentiments

**A/N:** Before reading this chapter, if you haven't already, I _highly_ suggest going back and re-reading the previous chapters, as I've done _a lot_ of revising and adding small elements that are called upon in this chapter. If you really don't feel like going back and reading through all of them, just read the new start to chapter 3.

* * *

Everything was definitely not ok. Next week came far too quickly, and every night Daniel was plagued with the same nightmare, over and over again. The lack of any proper sleep had left him exhausted, and he was grossly unprepared for the first day at the Academy. Even though he already had personal experience with a similar course, he still found himself struggling to keep up.

Daniel finally tracked down his cot before collapsing on the firm mattress. He couldn't care less how hard or soft the bed was, he just wanted to _sleep._ And yet, despite the overwhelming weariness that begged him to drift off, the lingering adrenaline from the day alongside the fear of having another nightmare kept him rooted in reality. He eventually found his mind going over the few highs and innumerous lows he had dealt with over the last few hours.

He scored above average on the written exams and the firearms course, finding both to be just as familiar as before. In fact, he probably would have aced the written if it wasn't for the small discrepancies between Zootopia's ordinances and the ones from the past. Firearms were another matter entirely, as it took him awhile to get used to the tranquilizer's travel time when trying to hit moving targets.

Sparring had been surprisingly difficult for him, if only because he had immediately been paired up with a hippo that was well over twice his size. No matter what blows he was able to sneak in, his opponent just shrugged them off and kept chugging along. The match eventually ended in a draw, as the hippo was never able to make contact and Daniel was never able to make any meaningful contact.

However, the obstacle course was another matter entirely. The drill sergeant had declared him 'dead' so many times that he began to wonder if he was actually a reanimated corpse. He passed the urban section without much trouble, albeit not as quickly as some of the other mammals due to his exhaustion. It wasn't until he encountered the more exotic environments that he began to have immense difficulty even completing the course, much less keeping up with the other recruits. Even Nick was doing better, even if it was only marginal at times.

One of the biggest problems was that, he was only human. When it came to trudging through the various biomes, his body wasn't specialized like some of the other mammals. He was slower in the constant downpour of a rainforest, colder in the freezing air of a tundra, and weaker in the blazing heat of a desert. It was disheartening to see just how average his abilities were, and for a moment he almost felt as though he should give up. Almost.

Memories of police training back home slowly resurfaced. How awful it had been, how much he had wanted to quit after the first day. _But I didn't quit, did I? I thought about everyone I'd let down if I did. My friends, my family, all of the countless people I could save. It's still the same thing. I can do this, I have to._ He felt rejuvenated, the hopelessness from before having been replaced with confidence. However, he was still grossly fatigued, and he finally opted to try to fall asleep in hopes of getting ready for the next day of training.

The sound of approaching footsteps kept him awake, however, prompting him to lazily sit up from the cot. Nick didn't look much better than him, the fox practically drooping from how tired he was. "I can't believe I actually thought Carrots wasn't a real cop," he groaned while rolling into the cot beside Daniel. "This is torture."

Daniel could only grunt in agreement. "I thought that I was ready for this kind of stuff after going through the course back home, but this is another beast entirely." He laid down on his back and stared up at the ceiling, his eyelids threatening to close once again.

"How did you do it?" Nick asked incredulously.

"Well… the only way I made it through each day was by reminding myself of _why_ I was going through all of it. My parents played a big part, don't get me wrong, but they weren't the real reason why I decided to join. No, it was all of the innocent people that would never be able to defend themselves, all of the criminals that would inevitably get away. I felt that maybe, just maybe, me being in the force would ensure that a few more people would get the justice they deserve. And I still do.

Nick let out a tired chuckle. "You know, you remind me of Carrots. Always striving to make the world a better place."

"You could say that, but I think I'm far less ambitious." Daniel gave Nick a quizzical expression. "So what's your motivation?"

Nick stared up at the ceiling in thought. "I guess I do it to protect all of the little things in my life. I've seen what this city can do to some people, and I don't want to see that happen to the ones I care about.

"But more than anything… I do it for Judy. She only saw me as another sly fox at first, but then she began to look past that. She didn't care about what I was, or what I could do for her, but about who Iam. And she believed in me, believed that I could become something better."

Daniel nodded absentmindedly. He didn't know Nick very well, but it was obvious the fox had already been through a lot in a short amount of time. And yet, it was oddly inspiring to think that such a small bunny could have such a huge impact on his life. _I get the feeling that Judy means a lot to him, more than he realizes. He just needs some time to mull things over, and the academy just might give it to him._

Daniel continued to stare at the ceiling until his eyes finally shut of their own accord, and drifted off. He didn't have nightmares that night.

* * *

The following months were grueling, to put it lightly. This was nothing like the police academy back home, and Danny's lackluster performance through the initial weeks showed just how out of shape he was. Still, he was doing significantly better than the rest of the recruits, including Nick, who could barely keep up with the training regimen.

Still, as the weeks dragged on, everyone slowly began to get better. However, no one improved themselves as fast as Nick did. There were bound to be some recruits who thought he was cheating the system, but eventually everyone knew the truth behind his exponential growth.

Danny trained with Nick every day, while Nick texted Judy and asked her for the 'latest and greatest tips and tricks to acing the academy,' although Danny suspected they were talking about anything but. Still, they made an excellent team, and Nick liked partnering up with Danny almost as much as he did with Judy. Almost.

There were still challenges, however, one of the most prominent being Danny's recurring nightmares. Despite their predictability, he still felt the same rush of anger and sorrow in each and every dream, just as strong as the one before. He figured that it was the result of some sort of survivor's guilt, but he couldn't convince himself to let it go. Instead, he buried it under a mountain of resolve and toughed out the sleepless nights.

Tonight was one of those nights. He bolted awake for the third time that night, the vision of the faceless thing still fresh in his mind. He dragged his hands down his face before sitting up and looking around the dimly lit barracks. It was completely pitch black, except for one small source of light from his right. Nick's phone illuminated his muzzle as he lazily browsed away.

"Didn't expect to see you up," Danny whispered, causing Nick to jump.

"Same goes for you Danny. At least I have an excuse."

Danny shrugged. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I'm just not really tired."

Nick didn't buy it, giving him a skeptical look before shaking his head. "Look, I didn't think it was my place to ask but… what's been going on lately? You keep bolting awake every other night, but you never brought it up, so I didn't ask."

Danny let out a long sigh before collapsing back onto his bed and staring up at the ceiling. "I've been having the exact same nightmare since I first got out of cryo. I'm back inside one of the pods, begging for someone to let me out. Then this faceless… husk stands in front of the window before leaving me to die."

"So, what do you think it means?"

Danny paused in thought. "I'm pretty sure that faceless thing… is me. An insignificant nobody who just got lucky and didn't bother to try to save anyone else."

"Now hold on a minute. Just because you're one among billions doesn't mean you aren't important. Everyone has their own thoughts, their own personalities, their own desires, everything that makes you _you_."

Nick gave him a smirk. "Personally, I'm glad that you made it out. I don't know if I could've made it through this course without you, and even if I could it wouldn't be the same without you."

Danny looked over at the fox, a grin creeping up on his face. "Thanks, I needed that." He looked back up at the ceiling, his brows furrowing in thought. _I never thought in a million years that I would be friends would be a_ fox _, but I'm lucky to have him._

After mulling over his thoughts, Danny turned to Nick and asked, "So, what's been keeping _you_ up?"

Nick's smile faltered. "It's… a long story."

"Hey, I'll be here all night."

Nick stifled a laugh before putting his phone down. "I've been thinking about my mom lately. Never knew my dad, although Mom always said that Anthonio was one hell of a charmer. Apparently I have his eyes, but I wouldn't know."

He let out a frustrated sigh before continuing. "We barely got by; I was practically all she had. Eventually I tried to get into cub scouts to make her proud but… that didn't exactly work out." Nick anxiously shifted around his bed before continuing.

"After that, I met Finnick. Maybe he felt sorry for me, or maybe he just wanted another cute face to make his life easier, but he agreed to help my mom if I did some jobs with him. One thing led to another, and soon we were raking in serious cash."

"And your mom never knew?" Danny interjected.

Nick chuckled dryly. "Oh no, she knew almost immediately, and there wasn't a day where she didn't remind me that what I was doing was wrong. But, we needed the money… so I kept going.

"Every hustle was better than the last, and soon I was making more than Finnick had ever made alone. I just can't shake the feeling that it was never worth it… Every time she looked at me, I could feel her disappointment cutting through me like a knife. And yet, I thought I was doing the right thing.

"Then I just… left. I didn't say goodbye, didn't even write a note. I just left the cash from my latest hustle and left. I still send relief funds to her address, but I haven't seen or talked to her since."

Danny lay motionless as he processed the information. "That's rough," he stated lamely. "Look," he began after a long pause, "I think it's time to find your mom again. Whether she was ever disappointed in you or not, I think she'd be proud to see where you are today."

Nick scoffed. "After all these years? After what I did to her? She won't even look at me," he whispered harshly.

"I seriously doubt that. Look, if fox parents are anything like human parents, then I'm positive that your mom _does not_ hate you in the slightest. No matter what I got myself into, no matter how far I dug myself into a hole, my parents were always there to support me. I'm sure your mom feels the same way."

Nick scratched his muzzle in thought. "Yeah, maybe you're right."

"Maybe? You mean I _am_ right."

The fox shook his head, grinning. "I wouldn't go that far."

"I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." They shared a hushed laugh before saying goodnight and falling back asleep. For the first night since he started in the academy, Daniel didn't have any nightmares that night.

* * *

Today was the day. He hadn't felt this excited in a long time, maybe even in his entire life. All the recruits recently learned that they had passed the final exams, and today was graduation. Of course, Daniel was ecstatic. _It only took about twenty centuries and the apocalypse to pass the Academy, but I did it right?... That's a depressing thought._ Daniel shrugged to himself before climbing out of bed.

Nick was already preparing for the big day, shrugging on the top of his dress blues. The fox uttered a quick "Morning" before continuing to button up the uniform with deft hands… paws. _Even though I've been around these animals for over a year, I don't think I'll get quite used to it._

Daniel nodded in return before making his way over to shower. By the time he finished, most of the recruits were prepped and ready to go, with Nick sitting on his cot waiting for Daniel.

"Why's everyone in such a rush? Graduation isn't for another four hours," Daniel asked as he slipped his left arm into the sleeve of his uniform top.

"Everyone's trying to get their last-minute arrangements sorted out. Family, friends, that special someone who convinced them to join up with the ZPD because they just _love_ a man in uniform." The last one earned a grin from Daniel.

"So, why are _you_ up so early?" he quipped.

Nick scratched the back of his neck before answering, "That… is a great question."

"It's your mom isn't it?"

Nick paused for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh. "Am I really that easy to read?"

Daniel shook his head. "If it was anyone else, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

"I dunno, Carrots could probably give you a run for your money."

"Obviously."

"Nothing gets past her, ever. I'm telling you it's those carrots, they give her supervision." They shared a brief chuckle before Danny continued.

"So really, what's going on?"

Nick scratched the back of his head as he answered, "I called Mom a couple days ago, got left on voicemail. Tried again this morning, same thing."

"You think she changed her phone number? It's been a long time."

"Nah, she still has the same voicemail."

Danny rubbed his chin in thought. "Well, just hold tight for now alright? I'm still willing to bet money that she's gonna be there."

"I'll hold you to that," Nick joked. It was obvious that it was still bothering him, but not nearly as much as before. _I just hope to God that I'm right._

Time seemed to fly by as they waited for the ceremony, at least for Daniel. He could only imagine how grueling it must have been for Nick, but he never let his façade down. The beginning was rather mundane, with everyone trying to get into position on stage as the spectators rolled in.

The acting mayor was one of the first to arrive, a rather average looking deer in a navy-blue suit, followed by a few family members of some of the younger recruits. Eventually, the rest of the crowd began to turn out: a few officers, some siblings, a lot of parents, even a couple of reporters.

Danny scanned over the turnout as he waited for the ceremony to begin, looking for any fox other than Nick. He smirked to himself when he caught sight of Judy, mentally noting that he guessed right, but never saw any signs of who he was really looking for.

Just as the graduation was getting underway, he spotted a glimpse of red fur in the back row. He had no idea when or how they got there without him noticing, but he had a feeling about who it was. Still, he didn't know for sure and decided to let it go for the time being.

It killed him to not be able to give Nick some hope, but he figured it would be a lot worse if he told him about the figure in the back only to turn out to be wrong. The graduation was painfully slow, the knowledge of the figure festering in the back of his mind. To make matters worse, the ceremony itself was predictably boring with niceties and honors from people he didn't care about, and the crowd soon became fixated on the new human recruit.

The only thing that stood out from the whole thing was Judy's speech. There was just something about the message, that everyone had the potential to become their own mammal and better themselves and those around them, that resonated deeply within him. It was much more meaningful than the cookie-cutter speech the mayor gave, and from a script no less.

Daniel thanked every god he could think of when the graduation was over. He nudged Nick and motioned for him to follow before making his way off the stage and towards the figure in the back row. The mammals parted like the Red Sea as they saw the human approaching, revealing a graying vixen standing behind the row of chairs.

Nick beamed when he recognized who it was. "Hey mom," he said meekly.

The other fox looked up at Nick, barely wasting a moment before enveloping him in a hug. "Nicholas Piberius Wilde, you ought to know by now when I can and can't answer the phone," she scolded playfully

"Yeah well, maybe I forgot," he replied sarcastically.

"Some things never change," she noted with a chuckle. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks mom. Sorry for being such a disappointment for so long… I just didn't know what else to do."

Nick's mom scoffed. "Nonsense, I was never disappointed in you. I didn't approve of your line of work, true, but I was more worried that you'd get yourself into trouble that you wouldn't be able to talk your way out of. If anything, I was disappointed in myself because I couldn't care for myself, let alone you too."

"You did the best you could mom. It wasn't your fault."

"Come on Nick, let me be sad for once," she said jokingly, giving her son another squeeze before letting him go.

The two foxes sat down and continued talking about anything and everything that had happened since Nick left, while Danny and Judy watched from a respectable distance. "I haven't seen Nick this happy since I found him under the bridge a couple months ago," Judy noted happily.

"Finding his mom again meant a lot to him. He stayed up countless nights dreading the idea that his mom would never seem as anything other than a con."

"He mentioned that it was bothering him, but he never said it was that bad…"

Eventually the two foxes stood up from the long-since vacated back row and walked over to Danny and Judy. "So, you two must be Judy and Danny. I just wanted to say, thank you bringing my son back to me."

"To be fair, all I did was make sure he didn't lose his cool in the academy; Judy did the hard work," Danny said sarcastically, earning an elbow from Judy.

"To be honest Mrs. Wilde. I only convinced him to join the academy, the rest was all Nick," Judy said sincerely.

The vixen skeptically raised her eyebrow. "When mammals learn to accept a compliment, it'll be the end of days," she joked, earning an abashed smile from Danny and Judy. "And please, call me Marianne. 'Mrs. Wilde' makes me feel old."

The group talked for a little while longer at the deserted graduation grounds before deciding to head to a diner Marianne had suggested. _Now_ this _is something worth celebrating._

* * *

 **A/N:** First of all, I'd like to apologize for taking so long on this. I don't really have a good excuse as to why such a short chapter took so long, but all I can say is that, for as simple as it is, this was probably the hardest to write thus far. I'm awful at writing emotional stuff, primarily because I have no personal experience with stuff like this. I challenged myself to write something I liked, and I didn't like any of it, so I put the story down for a while. Now I'm back, and I promise I will try to be more timely with updates in the future.

 **M:** The Way Home - Magic Sword; So Far Away - Lazerhawk  
 **N (most recent):** Human Error - STRNGR; anything by Danger


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